Company points fingers at former acting CEO Liebenberg
Staff Reporter
THE number of missing cattle from Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) stands at around 900 and is pending validation via an ongoing external audit, double the initially reported number of 400.
This is according to an internal document seen by Informanté, written by Meatco Vice-Chair Stephanie De Klerk, in which she briefed the Finance Minister on the ongoing missing cattle situation, wherein 400 cattle were alleged to have disappeared from Farm Eendrag Linden Beef Feedlot, which belongs to a certain David van der Linden, who was jailed for having a dagga plantation on the same farm.
In her update, De Klerk shared that preliminary findings on the missing cattle implicate the former Acting CEO Patrick Liebenberg, as well as some members of staff, whose involvement will be handled as investigations continue.
“A criminal case has been lodged at Hochfeld and Gobabis against the former Acting CEO, following which two charges were registered (Theft of Livestock and Defeating the Course of Justice), with further charges to be added as investigations continue; liaison has been escalated to senior members of the police due to the gravity of the matter. Police have shared the CR number – police await Meatco’s final audit report by its external auditors to further assist with the investigations; a second criminal case is being lodged in Gobabis on 01/10/2025,” De Klerk said.
She added that further incidental matters, such as cash reconciliations of amounts that could not be accounted for by the Livestock Procurement Department (roughly around N$2.5 million), are currently underway and subject to change with the final reconciliation report, the outcome of which could add further charges, either criminal, civil, or in relation to labor law.
In a grievance letter, employees of Meatco have questioned why Patrick Liebenberg, despite the existence of a report from Norman Tjombe recommending the opening of a criminal case, has not faced any arrests or prosecutions.
The employees demanded that the entire Board of Meatco be dissolved with immediate effect and that a forensic investigation be instituted into the disappearance of the cattle, the suspension of Liebenberg, and the handling of internal reports.
They further called for the Chief Financial Officer and any implicated executives to be suspended pending investigation.
In an official response, Meatco Interim Chief Executive Officer Albertus Aochamub echoed the remarks of De Klerk, confirming that Meatco has formally lodged a criminal complaint with the Namibian Police concerning serious irregularities uncovered in the management of cattle at one of its contracted feedlots.
Aochamub said that following an internal review and subsequent legal investigation, Meatco identified suspicious movements and discrepancies in cattle records, resulting in a significant number of animals being unaccounted for.
“The investigation implicates actions attributed to Mr. Patrick Liebenberg, who previously served as Acting Chief Executive Officer and currently holds the position of Executive: Livestock Procurement and Production at Meatco. The complaint alleges, among other things, that cattle were unlawfully moved between feedlots in ways that misrepresented stock counts, concealed losses, and misled both Meatco and its external auditors. Further allegations include the obstruction of reporting processes and misrepresentation of payments associated with cattle movements,” Aochamub said.
In light of these developments, he added that Meatco took the precautionary step of suspending Liebenberg on 15 July 2025 to allow for an unhindered investigation.
“The Corporation is cooperating fully with the Namibian Police and stands ready to provide all relevant documentation and witness testimony to support the ongoing investigation and any subsequent prosecution. The Board and Management assure stakeholders, producers, and the Namibian public that Meatco will pursue this matter with the seriousness it deserves — guided by the principles of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. No further details will be provided at this stage to avoid prejudicing the ongoing investigation. Updates will be shared as appropriate and in consultation with the relevant authorities,” Aochamub said.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
